“I had no direction in my life whatsoever when I came here… Now I want to go back to school to become an addiction therapist, so that I can be part of other people’s recovery and a positive force in their life like the staff at Beaches was for me.”

How Dual Diagnosis Treatment Fits into Addiction Therapy

Mental illness is one of the main causes of addiction, and many people relapse because of mental illness symptoms. When getting help for addiction, you should find a facility that specializes in dual diagnosis therapy. Without the proper attention to your symptoms of mental illness, it will be very difficult to stay sober. In treatment, treating your addiction and mental illness separately will give you the greatest chances of success.

How Mental Illness Leads to Addiction

Most people develop symptoms of mental illness between the ages of about 14 and 24 years old. One of the issues is that most schools around the country don’t teach children about mental health. Therefore, when symptoms of mental illness arise in a young person, he or she doesn’t understand. The most common forms of mental illness include:

Anxiety

Depression

ADD or ADHD

Bipolar disorder

Rather than seeking professional help for the symptoms the young person is experiencing, he or she may turn to drugs or alcohol, often called self-medication. For example, anxiety is a disorder that makes a person feel high amounts of stress and fear. Opiates, benzodiazepines or alcohol may calm him or her down, so he or she begins to self-medicate on a regular basis. Other disorders like PTSD can develop at any time in a person’s life based on a traumatic experience.

Why is Dual Diagnosis Therapy Important?

Drugs and alcohol are only a symptom of a person’s problem, so treatment helps a person get to the causes and conditions. If a person was drinking or using to calm his or her mind, they need to figure out what’s causing the anxiety. Without treating the root of the problem, the problem will inevitably return. Two of the primary reasons for relapse are when a person has an untreated mental illness or an undiagnosed mental illness.

Treating a Dual Diagnosis Properly

Addiction is a mental illness in and of itself, which is separate from psychological dependence and disorder. This means that those who have an addiction must treat mental illness in a specific way. Many medications for mental illness, like Xanax and Adderall, are addictive, so one must find alternative methods. With dual diagnosis treatment, a person finds non-addictive ways to treat his or her disorder.

There are many holistic methods that reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Through mindfulness practices, meditation, yoga and other forms of therapy, a person can live a better life. Part of this type of treatment includes cognitive behavioral therapy, which retrains the mind. The person will begin to replace his or her old habits of drinking or using with new healthy habits.

Beaches Recovery is here to help you if you’ve been struggling with a mental illness as well as an addiction. Through our dual diagnosis program, you’ll find the source of your drinking or using and clearly address it. You’ll learn healthy ways to overcome depression, anxiety or other symptoms and live a much better life. If you’re ready to begin a new life, we’re ready to help. Call 866-605-0532.